State police turn out at Middletown funeral home for fallen brother

MIDDLETOWN — Highland Avenue was lined with cars Monday afternoon as hundreds of people turned out at calling hours for a state trooper who died of an on-the-job injury he suffered in 2011.

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By NATHAN BROWN

recordonline.com

By NATHAN BROWN

Posted Jul. 30, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By NATHAN BROWN

Posted Jul. 30, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

MIDDLETOWN — Highland Avenue was lined with cars Monday afternoon as hundreds of people turned out at calling hours for a state trooper who died of an on-the-job injury he suffered in 2011.

A steady stream of gray-uniformed troopers came to Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home to pay their respects to Trooper Winston Martindale. They were joined by many officers from other local police departments, as well as friends and family.

Martindale, 40, suffered internal injuries after falling on a piece of equipment in May 2011 while responding to the collision of two small airplanes in the Town of Wawayanda. Despite his injuries, Martindale stayed on the scene for about six hours. Both pilots were killed in the crash.

Martindale went through several medical procedures following the injury. He died Wednesday night after surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

"What a gentleman," said Rich Guertin, Middletown corporation counsel and a prosecutor for the Town of Wallkill who used to handle traffic tickets with Martindale. "Wonderful guy."

Maria Blon, who had employed Martindale's 19-year-old son, Kyle, to do graphic-design work for her business, said Kyle "stayed focused" while dealing with his father's health woes.

"He's such a good kid," she said.

Martindale's funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Christian Faith Fellowship Church, 510 M&M Road. His burial will follow at the Orange County Veterans Cemetery in Goshen. Martindale was an Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He is survived by his wife, Michelle; his son, Kyle; and a daughter, Moria, 16.